If you’ve started planning a trip to Katmai National Park, you may have realized that reaching this 4 million-acre park is no easy feat. This remote Alaskan park has no roads leading into it, which leaves a combination of planes and boats as the main means of transportation.
In this guide, we break down how to reach Katmai National Park step by step, how to prepare for your journey to Katmai, how much it costs, and more essential travel info. Let’s dive in!
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📍 Where is Katmai National Park?
Katmai National Park and Preserve is located in southwestern Alaska. There are no roads leading into the park, which is a big part of what keeps it so wild and uncrowded.
Most visitors access Katmai by flying into King Salmon (the park’s headquarters) from Anchorage and then continuing to Brooks Camp, the park’s most popular destination. This is where brown bears feast on salmon in the river each summer around the months of July and August.
✈️ Step-by-Step How to Get to Katmai National Park
Brooks Camp is by far the most popular, and where most visitors are interested in traveling. Although there are other areas of the park to visit, this article focuses on how to get to Brooks Camp at Katmai National Park.
1. First, Get to Alaska
This might seem obvious, but first, you need to get to Alaska. The most convenient airport to fly into would be Anchorage (airport code ANC). If looking for flights to Anchorage, we recommend Going to find cheap flights about 6 months out, but it’s important to remember that summer is Alaska’s high season.
We drove our van to Alaska, parked in short-term parking, and left our dog Ollie with someone from Rover petsitting in Anchorage while we visited Katmai National Park.
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2. Fly to King Salmon
Once you’ve made it to Alaska, you need to fly to King Salmon. There are two ways to do this. First, you can fly 1 hour from Anchorage to King Salmon with a company like Alaska Airlines, which is a slightly more budget-friendly and popular option. This option also allows you to use a credit card or airline points, which is what we also did, to help us save money on this trip. The second option is to fly with Katmai Air to King Salmon.
You can also reach King Salmon from other parts of Alaska, like Homer and Kodiak, which can be helpful if you’re building Katmai into a longer Alaska itinerary.
3. Take a Boat or Floatplane to Brooks Camp
Once you arrive in King Salmon, you have one final leg to get to Brooks Camp! There are two ways to get there:
- Floatplane: The fastest and most scenic option, typically taking about 30 minutes. It’s weather-dependent but offers incredible aerial views of lakes, volcanoes, and tundra. This is what we used to get to Brooks Camp. Luggage has a limit of 50 lbs per person, so make sure to stay under this! We flew with Katmai Air and had a positive experience overall. Prices vary depending on the month you’re interested in visiting. We paid $480/person round-trip in July.
- Boat: A slower but more affordable alternative, often operated by companies like Katmai Water Taxi. This 45-minute cruise across Naknek Lake costs $350/person and is also weather-dependent.
💡 This portable bag scale came in handy to make sure our luggage was under 50 lbs. each!
✈️ Our Travel Day to Katmai National Park
Our travel day to Katmai National Park started early. We dropped our dog, Ollie, off at the sitter’s place around 7 am, parked our van at the Anchorage Airport long-term lot, and sent one last round of “we’ll be offline” messages to family as we likely wouldn’t have cell service for several days.
From there, we flew with Alaska Airlines from Anchorage to King Salmon. Once we landed, a short shuttle arranged by Katmai Air took us to their waterfront office, where we checked in early, weighed our bags (50 lbs per person max), and prepped for the floatplane. A nice surprise was that Katmai Air had Wi-Fi, so we could send a few last-minute emails before fully disconnecting.
The final leg was a stunning ~30-minute floatplane flight into Brooks Camp. After landing, we weren’t allowed to grab our bags or wander camp until we completed Katmai’s Bear School. Honestly, attending this workshop really calmed our nerves about being in the center of bear country. If you’re also a bit hesitant about that, know that you’ll be given all the information necessary to keep you and the bears safe!
After Bear School, we grabbed our camping permits (which we reserved in advance), got our luggage from the lodge, and walked over to camp to set up our tent and enjoy the next few days we had in the park!
ℹ️ Preparing for Your Journey to Katmai
A trip to Katmai takes a bit more planning than most national parks. Here’s what you need to keep in mind, book, and prep before your trip.
- Book in Advance: Flights, boats, and accommodations fill up early in Katmai National Park, especially if you plan on travelling during bear season, July and August. Plan your trip as far as 18 months in advance if you’re looking to book at Brooks Lodge, and at least 6 months in advance if you’re open to camping at Brooks Camp.
- Plan in Buffer Days: Alaskan weather can be unpredictable, and delays are common due to fog, wind, or low visibility. Adding buffer days on both ends of your trip, if possible, helps reduce stress if plans shift.
- Bring Everything You Need: This is very much a “come prepared” destination rather than a casual stop, so make sure to bring all of your necessities with you from Anchorage or wherever you’re coming from. Some things can be purchased in King Salmon, but at a higher price than in a big city like Anchorage. There is a small store in Brooks Camp to purchase souvenirs and a few odd and end items, but it’s much better to come prepared.
- No cell service: There is zero cell service in Katmai National Park, and the cell service we had in King Salmon was spotty, causing us to use the airport’s Wi-Fi. It’s important to communicate with friends and family ahead of time that you’ll be off the grid and when they can expect to hear from you.
💵 How Much Does it Cost to Get to Katmai?
Out of all the Alaskan parks we’ve visited, this was probably one of the most expensive. Below, we’ve broken down solely the transportation costs for someone coming from Anchorage. Below is the most affordable option, as it breaks up the flight from Anchorage to King Salmon before going to Brooks Camp.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Flight Anchorage to King Salmon (round-trip) | $500 per person |
| Option 1: Boat to Brooks Camp (round-trip) | $350 per person |
| Option 2: Floatplane to Brooks Camp (round-trip) | $500 per person |
| Total: $850 – $1,000 per person |
🗓️ How Many Days in Katmai National Park?
Katmai can be done as a day trip, and many visitors choose that option, but weather delays can make it a bit of a gamble. We recommend at least 2 nights and 3 days, if possible, which gives you multiple chances to see bears and more flexibility if flights or boat rides are delayed.
Staying overnight also allows time for a full-day excursion to the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, an otherworldly volcanic landscape accessed by bus from Brooks Camp. In short, a day trip is doable, but spending a couple of nights makes the experience far less rushed and far more rewarding.
☀️ Best Time of Year to Visit Katmai
Peak salmon season, and thus bear season, is typically from July to early August, although the exact weeks can vary from year to year, depending on when the salmon arrive. In general, the best time to see the bears feasting on salmon is July. To see them all fattened up, late August to early September is a good time to go.
That being said, Katmai National Park is open year-round, so you don’t have to limit your plans to just two months. If you’re not set on seeing bears eating the salmon, you can also experience pleasant weather from late May to early September.
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